Rod for coupling cars



(No Model.)

' J. B. LEWIS.

, ROD FOR COUPLING CARS. No. 442,061. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

A TTOHNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASPER B. LEW IS, OF ALEXANDER, NEXV YORK.

ROD FOR COUPLING CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,061, dated December 2, 1890.

Application filed May 9, 1890. Serial No. 351,131. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JASPER B. LEWIS, of Alexander,in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Red for Coupling Cars, of which the following is afull,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in coupling-rods for operatingthelink and pin of an ordinary coupler.

It is Well known that very many lives are lost in coupling cars, and it is occasioned by the fact that the brakemen are compelled in the ordinary coupling to operate the link and pin by hand, which necessitates their getting between the ends of the cars.

The object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty by providing a device by means of which the brakemen may stand at the side of the cars and operate the link and pin of the car-coupler without getting between the cars.

To this end my invention consists in a coupling-rod having a bifurcated end, with the members thereof turned to an angle, and having at its opposite end a suitable springhook, by which it may be suspended from the person.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which the figure is a perspective view of the device embodying my invention.

The rod A is made sufficientl y long for a person to take hold of one end and with the other reach from the side of the car to the coupler. It has a bifurcated end forming the terminal members A, which are formed into terminal hooks or prongs A said hooks being bent at nearly right angles with the members A. The opposite end of the rod A is formed into an eye A in which is fixed the loop a, said loop being made of Wire and having its ends united in the eye of the rod, and the loop is doubled upon itself at the part a and formed into the terminal hook a adapted to engage the clothing or belt of a person, and thereby suspend the rod A. The material, which should be wire, composing the loop a and hook a is made of spring metal, that it may not easily get out of shape.

To use the device the brakeinan grasps the end of the rod next the eye A and reaches between the cars and engages the couplinglink with the hooks A and guides the link into the draw-head of the opposite car, when the pin will fall through the link in the usual manner. If the brakeman is upon the cars, he may descend between the ends of the same and with the rod and hook A engage the coupling-link and lift it into engagement with the draw-head. It will thus be seen that the person using the rod may couple the cars in the usual manner without placing himself in danger of being crushed between the cars, and the bifurcated end of the rod will enable it to thereby easily engage the coupling-link.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A coupling-rod consisting,essentially, of a rod bifurcated at one end, with the members of said bifurcated end formed into terminal hooks, said rod having its opposite end formed into an eye and having a spring-wire loop secured in the eye, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with a coupling-rod having at one end a terminal eye and having the other end bifurcated and formed into terminal hooks, of a spring-wire loop secured in the eye and doubled uponitself to formasuspending-hook, substantially as shown and de scribed, and for the purpose specified.

JASPER B. LEWIS.

Witnesses: I

G. MANSON, M. L. ALLWORTH. 

